Mom Review: Too Cold to Play Outside? Try Wii Outdoor Challenge

I live in Montana and we are smack-dab in the middle of the coldest winter I’ve ever experienced here normally Montana is fairly mild…(mind you, I grew up in Minnesota so my definition of mild may be a bit skewed).

We had a weeklong stretch where the kids literally could not go outside due to frigid temps.  They were getting stir-crazy…and so was I.

That’s what motivated me to purchase a Wii and Active Life Outdoor Challenge for Christmas - and since the weather didn’t break…we opened it up early.

It was an instant hit with my kids (a four year old boy…and five year old girl).  The loved the jump-roping, log-jumping, outdoor trampoline & mine cart race.  I was literally giddy as I watched them run in place, jump and swing their arms & sweat!

We love the game so much that we spend each afternoon doing a family workout.  I do a 20 minute running, hurdle & jumping routine while the kids run in place & jump beside me.  After that, they challenge one another in a variety of games while I clean the house.

Pinch me.  I have a clean house…I am getting a quick workout…and I have exhausted kids at the end of the day.

Here is a promotional video for the game.  I would love to hear your thoughts on the game if you have it (comments section)…and if not - give it a try!  Trust me, it is well worth the $59.00 price tag!

Great Mommy Gadget - the Dustbuster’s Clever New Design

I am loving the simple & ergonomic new design of the classic Black & Decker dustbuster …especially the pivoting head & slim nozzle. 

I have a small vacuum in my minivan for goldfish spills & other mishaps but it has always been difficult to vacuum underneath the bench and in the crevices of the car seats where their is a nasty buffet of gummy bears, m&m’s & fruit-snacks. 

This looks like the perfect solution and I will be adding one (or two) to my Christmas list.

Wouldn’t this also make a great guy-gadget for neat-freak husbands like mine?

Product Review: Smart Cycle by Fisher Price

If you haven’t finished your holiday shopping yet (or if you like to procrastinate like me) I have another hot toy you’ll want to add to Santa’s wishlist.  My three year old son received the Fisher Price Smart Cycle on his third birthday from his grandparents.

I love this toy as much as he does for many reasons.

First, I am finally getting my household chores done.  Whenever I have a pile of laundry to tackle or a bathroom to clean I remind him that he needs to work on his racing skills.   “Jakey…did you beat 48 seconds yet?”  He gets his competitive streak from his mother. =)

I live in Montana where the winters can be brutal.  My kids usually only play outside once or twice per week when winter sets in.   Prior to the Smart Cycle my kids’ winter fitness plan involved jumping on beds and tackling one another.  While I’ve never encouraged my kids to sit in front of the tv while playing video games…I am absolutely thrilled when they “cycle” in front of the tv and play video games.

Finally, the games are simple, inexpensive and educational.   I hate purchasing a product only to realize that I constantly  have to buy additional books, software, etc.. to upgrade it.   My son has had the Smart Cycle for two months now and he has yet to grow tired of the basic cartridge that the product comes with.  Initially I was concerned that the Smart Cycle was more of a racing program than an educational program.   Thankfully, it is both.  I love watching him pedal as fast as he can while he screams out letters of the alphabet.   “I need a C”….”I need a D”…etc.  His letter-recognition skills have improved dramatically since he started playing with this toy. 

My only problem with this product is that they didn’t make one for grownups. 

If you want to learn more about the Smart Cycle features, check out this clip from You Tube.  If you have any specific questions about the product feel free to post it in the comments section and I will do my best to answer it. 

Technorati Tags: smart cycle,kids gift ideas,toys r us,fisher price smart cycle,hot toys,2007 hot toys,educational toys,preschool toys

My Morning Cup of Sanity Just Got Simpler: Senseo Coffee Maker Review

I can’t live without my morning cup of coffee. Here was my routine before I purchased a Senseo coffee maker by Phillips.

1. Stumble to the kitchen while rubbing my eyes and yawning.
2. Crack open my huge plastic tub of generic coffee.
3. Scoop (and spill) the grounds on the counter as I fumble with the flimsy filter.
4. Wipe up the mess.
5. Spill water as I try to pour the huge pitcher into the tiny hole on the back of my coffee pot.
6. Wipe up mess again.
7. Pull the used filter out of coffee pot. Hold hand under filter to prevent drips as I scurried to the waste basket across the room.
8. Wash coffee soaked hands and wipe the drips off of the floor (with my socks).

Yesterday, I excitedly went to the door to retrieve my brand new Senseo coffee pot from my UPS man. I was so excited I almost hugged him. I had been wanting one for months and I finally broke down and ordered it.
Here’s my new routine.

1. Stumble to my kitchen.
2. Place coffee pod into Senseo coffee maker.
3. Place cup under maker.
4. Push button.

Wa-la! That’s it…(and the coffee is much tastier…and foamy to boot!) The coffee maker holds also 12 cups of coffee in a reserve that you simply have to fill once a day or so (unless you drink as much coffee as me, then you’ll be filling it up every few hours. Regardless, it certainly beats going through my old routine every time I wanted a cup. (My socks are cleaner too).
The only reason I didn’t get the Senseo maker a few months ago was that they were fairly new and I was afraid that the cost of the coffee pods (coupled with my coffee addiction) would break me. When I saw how inexpensive the pods were becoming at retailers like Costco, Target and Walmart, I gave in. While I am not much of a domestic goddess, I am a coffee goddess.

Just the other day, I drove past my favorite little coffee shop that (used to) have the best coffee in town. My husband was stunned. While I’ll occasionally stop in the shop to visit with friends or write, I don’t do it because they have better coffee than I do at home. Now, I have my favorite little “shop” right in my home-office.

Technorati Tags: senseo , coffee , coffee pods , coffee makers , coffee pod makers , senseo coffee pods

Avoid Potentially Toxic Toys from China and Support Work at Home Parents

I’ve always been a big fan of supporting work at home moms.  One of my favorite places to shop is Etsy.com.  Normally, I purchase unique gifts there for friends and family members.  They have wonderful purses, artwork, jewelry and accessories that are always well-made, unique and adorable. 

In light of all of the recent recalls, I am going to be purchasing some of my kids’ toys on Etsy this year.  

If you are looking for some safe toys and gifts for your kids this Holiday season, consider supporting some of my favorite crafters on Etsy.

Here’s a preview of a few of the wonderful things you can find there for kids…

Custom Superhero Cape

Baby Tag Blankie

Childrens’ Color Book

Nightmare Snatcher Monster Journal

Handcrafted Wooden Spinning Top

Coloring Book and Crayon Caddy

Technorati Tags: toxic toys , non-toxic toys , handcrafted toys , american toys , etsy , toy recalls , china , chinese toys , lead-free toys , holiday toys , unique gifts , christmas gift ideas , safe toys

They Grow Way too Fast - Save Money with Transitional Baby Furniture

My baby boy just turned three last month and I am in the process of turning his “baby-ish” room into a big boy room. 

One of the things that I learned from my first baby (who is now four) was to decorate the room with transitional furniture. 

Really, what preschooler wants a changing table in their bedroom?  Or a bed that looks like too much like a crib? 

I am loving these changing tables from Great Priced Furniture.com.  They are functional enough to be used as a changing table, but the moment your child is finally potty-trained, it becomes a regular chest of drawers. 

I also love these “convertible” cribs.  This one (pictured below) transitions from a crib, to a toddler bed, to a daybed, to a double bed!  Imagine the money you will save as your child grows!

You can simplify your children’s decor even more by buying your furniture online.

If you are expecting a child, keep it simple by planning their bedroom decor ahead of time.  Trust me, I am thrilled that I will not need to spend an extra $300 on a dresser or crib for my son.  We certainly learned our lesson after having to completely refurnish my daughter’s room.

I hope you’ll from my mistakes.  Happy decorating!

Promote Your Business and Dress up Your Holiday Gifts & Packages with Moo Mini Cards

Okay - I love these so much it hurts.  I was just playing with my Flickr account trying to come up with a service that will print out some holiday cards for me. 

As always…I started to wander around a bit and found these…

At first, I thought that they would make fantastic business cards for my design business addiction.  And then, I saw these ideas….

For those of you that have a home-business, these are a unique (and inexpensive) alternative to the classic business card.

For SAHMS - create some for your kids and hand them out when you are planning a playdate.

For everyone…don’t these make the cutest gift tags?

Alright…back to my normally scheduled surfing. =)

Technorati Tags: promote , business , business cards , calling cards , gift tags , photo cards , photo stickers , photo ideas , photo gifts , unique gift tags , fun gift tags , playdate cards , business cards for kids , business promotion , craft fair , craft fair booth , craft fair booth ideas , work at home mom , stay at home mom

No More Fighting for "The Edge"

Is there anything better than the gooey, chewy edge of a brownie?  The middle part isn’t too shabby either, but I’ve always been a big “edge” fan. 

I’ve always wished there was a way to make the entire brownie pan taste just like the edge parts but the center pieces (at least when I make brownies) usually have the texture of wheat bread.

I was doing a little “stumbling” tonight and saw a photo of this curious little s-shaped pan that creates a batch of oowie, gooey, chewie edge brownies…for everyone!

Now…if only they could create a muffin pan that made the entire muffin taste like the top! 

Edge Brownie Pan - Baker’s Edge